


Just You and Me

by hmweasley



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, First Meetings, Korrasami Month 2019, Korrasami Week 2018, Minor Bolin/Opal, Minor Korra/Mako, Roommates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2019-07-12 20:05:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 5,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16002335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hmweasley/pseuds/hmweasley
Summary: Ficlet collection centered around Korrasami.Chapter 1: Korra meets an adoring young fan, but he comes away from the encounter with a new hero.Chapter 5: Asami does not appreciate Korra's habit of leaving her dirty clothes lying about.8: Korra can't stop thinking about meeting Asami.9: Poetry may never be something Korra is capable of.10: Asami's not so sure about a pet turtleduck.11: A year of new beginnings.12: Korra isn't excited about her new neighborhood, and she wishes she wasn't excited for her new neighbor. (AU)13: Korra finds a way to occupy herself on the ship.14: Asami can't make the breakthrough she's hoping for.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I know, another ficlet collection. They just make everything easier. If you haven't caught on from the summary and such, this is going to focus on Korrasami, and in the beginning, it's going to hold all my stories for Korrasami Week 2018. (I should have done this for Kataang Week too and regretted I didn't only a couple days in, so we're rectifying that this time.)
> 
> This is written for day one of Korrasami Week with the prompt "hero".

Korra saw the boy before he wanted her to. He was half hiding behind a tree several meters away, his mouth hanging open as he watched the Avatar have a simple picnic with her girlfriend. 

With a sigh, Korra put down her half-eaten sandwich. Asami followed her gaze until she saw the boy for herself and sent a gentle smile in his direction, which was the encouragement he needed to come out from hiding and hurry towards them.

“You’re Avatar Korra,” he said in the same stunned voice people often used when meeting her. If they agreed with her decisions at least. They always made it sound as if they were stating something Korra herself didn’t know.

“Yep,” Korra said.

There were days she was in the mood for this, but she was getting tired of random people interrupting each time she tried to plan a nice date for Asami. If he weren’t only a year or two older than Rohan, she might have told him to get lost.

“You’re my hero,” he rushed to add, bouncing on his toes. “I can’t bend, but I want to grow up to be just like you.”

Korra sighed. She hated when kids did this because she couldn’t bring herself to lie and say their dreams would come true. The kid knew he’d never develop bending powers; she knew he did. Somehow, they still always looked crushed when she pointed it out.

While Korra struggled with how to respond, Asami swooped in to save the day.

“What’s your name?” she asked, causing a blush to color the boy’s cheeks.

“Kosei,” he said, puffing out his chest.

“Nice to meet you, Kosei. I’m Asami.”

She held out her hand, and the boy took it, doing everything in his power to appear like the adult he believed he was being treated as.

“Are you friends with Avatar Korra?” he asked.

Korra snorted.

“She’s my girlfriend, kid.”

Kosei’s mouth dropped open.

“Really?” he asked, bouncing on his toes and gripping his hands together in excitement. “Can you bend too?”

Korra couldn’t help but laugh at that one, earning a confused look from the boy in response. Asami smiled and shook her head.

“No, I’m a nonbender like you.”

Kosei’s eyes grew wide.

“The Avatar’s dating a nonbender?”

“Why’s that so hard to believe?” Korra asked flatly. “Nonbenders do lots of cool stuff, Kosei.”

Her earlier annoyance with the boy was largely forgotten as she began to recount some of the many impressive things she’d seen Asami do over the years. The boy listened with rapt attention, and Korra felt pleased with herself when he began looking at Asami with the same reverence he’d been showing Korra previously.

“You’re my hero,” he declared to Asami once Korra had finished. “I want to be just like you when I grow up.”

Asami waved her hand through the air, her cheeks a light pink.

“Good choice,” Korra chimed in, high fiving Kosei and making him giggle.

He ran off soon after that, no doubt to share his story with his friends.

Korra leaned into Asami, elbowing her lightly in the side.

“Thanks for stealing my fans.”

Asami shoved her back.

“Stop it,” she laughed. “That was your doing.”

Korra laughed, leaning in to press a quick kiss to Asami’s cheek.


	2. Morning Routine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asami loves her and Korra's morning routine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written for day two of Korrasami Week 2018: morning routine.

Asami stretched before opening her eyes, relishing the warmth that had her enveloped. She grinned as she looked across from her. Korra was laying flat on her back, one arm thrown over her stomach and mouth hanging open. Asami grinned at the image it made. Korra never slept in the same position from night to night, and as Asami always woke up first, she’d made it a game with herself to see how Korra would be sleeping each morning.

With reluctance, Asami slipped out from the bed and headed for the kitchen to prepare the requisite morning coffee. Though she would have loved to stare into space while allowing her mind the time it needed to fully wake up, she set to work.

Unrolling her latest designs on the kitchen table she looked them over for any glaring errors that she had missed when growing tired the night before. She’d need to do it again once she had caffeine in her system, but at least, if she found any now, she’d feel particularly productive for the day.

Two hours passed before Asami heard Korra moving around in their bedroom. When she came out into the living room, her hair was a mess, sticking out at odd angles, and she was scowling as if offended by the passage of time which had made it morning.

Asami smiled at her, looking up from her work long enough to get a quick kiss dropped to her lips as Korra passed her on her way to the coffee pot.

Her girlfriend didn’t say a word as she filled her cup, but she groaned with satisfaction as the first taste of coffee hit her tongue.

“Thank the spirits,” she said, closing her eyes as if the caffeine had already worked its way to her brain.

A few sips later and she found the energy to sit down across from Asami and ask what she was working on.

“A prototype for a new ticketing system that can be used at the train station,” Asami said, watching Korra’s face scrunch up in confusion as she tried to understand the blueprints Asami was painstakingly sketching.

Asami could see the exact moment she gave up making sense of the drawings when her face relaxed and she took another sip of coffee. Asami turned back to her work, content to sketch while Korra sipped coffee across from her and tried to regain her “mind” back as she sometimes referred to the process.

“Don’t you have a meeting with the council this morning?” Asami asked after nearly half an hour had passed.

Korra glanced at the clock before swearing loudly. Asami laughed to herself as Korra rushed towards their bedroom and began throwing items around haphazardly as she got ready. Asami shook her head as she turned back to her work.

It was always the same. She wouldn’t have had it any other way.


	3. Smile

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For day three of Korrasami Week 2018: smile.

When Asami smiled, Korra was at peace.

At first, the smiles hadn’t had much effect. Then they had twisted her stomach into knots. Then they had conjured butterflies. After a while, they’d left her feeling warm all over. Peace had come last, settling deep in her bones.

With the changes in feelings came new smiles to experience. Korra still saw the friendly smiles she’d known first, but she also received the ones she’d earned. They they took to to receive—that she was the only one to receive them—made them all the better.

Those would always be her favorites.


	4. Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra and Asami dance together. Drabble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for day four of Korrasami Week 2018.

Unable to control herself, Korra giggled as Asami twirled her with greater force than she’d expected. Face-to-face again, her breath caught in her throat. They were doing their best to stay in time with the music, but Asami was better at it than Korra.

When she’d thought about Bolin and Opal’s wedding, Korra hadn’t stopped to think about the dancing, but she’d been thankful for it from the moment Asami’s hand gripped hers.

No one was paying attention, and Korra leaned in to press a kiss to her girlfriend’s lips, relishing the feel of Asami’s laugh as she did so.


	5. Roommates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asami does not appreciate Korra's habit of leaving her dirty clothes lying about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for day five of Korrasami Week 2018: roommates.

Asami narrowed her eyes at the pair of socks strewn over the table. She held a large serving bowl with their dinner in her hands, but she couldn’t bring herself to place it on the table when the offending dirty socks were contaminating the space.

She glared at them for a few moments as if they would disappear before looking over her shoulder and asking, “Are these yours?”

She knew they were Korra’s of course. They certainly weren’t hers, and no one else lived in the house.

Korra turned from where she stood at the stove, finishing up the rest of the food. Her brow furrowed in confusion, and she hurried over to see what Asami was pointing at. Her eyes widened when she saw the socks, and she chuckled nervously, rubbing at the back of her neck.

“Sorry,” she said. “I forgot.”

“You always forget.”

Korra reached down to swipe the socks off the table, her posture growing defensive.

“I said I’m sorry. It was an accident. I won’t do it again.”

“You always say that,” Asami pressed, roughly sitting down the pot. The soup inside sloshed dangerously close to the rim.

“I’m sorry I’m not perfect,” Korra snapped. “It’s a hard habit to break. Sometimes I get home, and I’m tired. I can’t be bothered to walk to our room and put them in the hamper.”

“So you toss your dirty clothes to the place where we eat?”

Korra slumped over with a sigh.

“Look. We’ve been having this argument since we moved in together—”

“Because you agreed you wouldn’t leave your dirty clothes lying around.”

“Right,” Korra said through gritted teeth. “I know, and I’m sorry.”

Asami rubbed at her forehead.

“I don’t want to argue,” she concluded. “I only want to eat dinner and talk about our day. But can you honestly try not to leave your stuff lying around in the future? At least not on the table.”

“I can definitely avoid the table,” Korra said with a small, hopeful smile.

She stepped towards Asami, wrapping her arms around her waist and kissing her gently on the cheek. When Asami smiled at the gesture, Korra laughed a little.

“You’re letting the meat burn,” Asami pointed out, though there was still a smile on her face.

Korra swore and hurried back into the kitchen, letting out a steady stream of curses as she went.


	6. Fantasy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Korrasami Week 2018: fantasy.

Korra has a fantasy she conceals from her caretakers. They know she wishes she’d never had poison course through her veins or known what it felt like to be helpless and reliant on others.

There is another wish, however, she keeps buried within her: the wish for Asami to hold her hand, not her mother. Guilt rises in her when she entertains the fantasy. Her mother has been nothing but loving since she arrived at the South Pole.

But it is Asami who gives her something to hold onto, and she holds onto it with all the strength she retains.


	7. Childhood Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for day seven of Korrasami Week 2018: "childhood friends".

Korra wasn’t sure what prompted her to think of the question. She just realized out of nowhere that, in all the years they had known each other, she had never met a childhood friend of Asami’s.

“I don’t have any,” Asami said in response to Korra’s question. “Not anymore.”

“Not anymore?” Korra echoed. “What does that mean?”

Asami shrugged. Whatever had happened, it didn’t seem to have bothered her much in the years since.

“We grew apart,” she said. “It’s a little sad, I guess, but the oldest friends I have are probably you, Mako, and Bolin. My other friends and I grew apart. We weren’t meant to be friends for life.”

Korra watched Asami for a moment, trying to decide whether or not her ease was real or fake. The last thing she wanted was to say the wrong thing.

“That’s too bad,” she said slowly. “It would be interesting to meet the people you used to hang out with.”

“Maybe you can someday,” Asami said with a shrug. “You never know. But don’t think you’re getting out of this without answering the same question. The closest thing to an old friend you have is Katara or your cousins.”

Korra grimaced.

“Apparently, I was hard to handle as a kid. After it was confirmed that I was the Avatar, other kids were even less excited to hang out with me.”

Asami was quick to smile, leaning over to place a kiss on Korra’s cheek.

“They weren’t wrong about you being difficult to handle,” she joked, “but that just makes you all the more satisfying.”


	8. First Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra can't stop thinking about Asami.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Korrasami Month 2019 day 1 - first meeting.

Korra stared at the ceiling. She’d been laying in bed for hours, but she had yet to fall asleep. Her mind kept drifting to Mako, only to be quickly distracted by the face of Asami Sato.

The memory of their first meeting was vivid in Korra’s memory. She couldn’t forget the confident way the other girl held herself or the way her eyes had sparkled when she smiled. Korra had never felt jealous of another girl before. She was the Avatar, after all. What was there to be jealous of? But there was no other way to explain the feeling that arose in the pit of her stomach when she ran over her memories of Asami.

Another image appeared in her mind’s eye: Mako and Asami smiling at each other. It was a simple scene, but it made Korra growl in frustration. She turned to press her face against her pillow and brought her fist down against the mattress.

It had only been a few days since they’d met, but Korra already knew that Asami Sato was going to be the death of her.


	9. Poetry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poetry may never be something Korra is capable of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Korrasami Month 2019 day 2 - poetry.

A sniffle made Korra pause on her way across the courtyard. Craning her neck, she found Bolin perched on a low wall. He hadn’t spotted her. Tears made his eyes shine as he looked down at a piece of paper in his hand, a pen gripped in his other.

“Bolin?” Korra asked, taking a slow step forward. “Are you okay?”

“Oh, Korra!” A smile blossomed on his lips that contradicted the years that were still threatening to escape. “I didn’t see you there. I’m fine! Just writing Opal some poetry. I always get a little emotional when I think about how much I love her.”

He gave a short laugh that held the tears at bay. Korra raised an eyebrow. It took a second for her to ascertain that she had heard him correctly, though she wasn’t sure why she was surprised at his antics. If there was one person she knew who would write poetry, it was Bolin.

“Poetry?” she asked, unable to stop smirking as she sat across from him on the wall. “How often do you do that?”

Bolin shrugged.

“It depends, but I want Opal to know how much I care for her. What better way than to put it in verse?”

“I don’t know,” Korra said slowly, her lips quirked downward. “I’ve always hated poetry myself. It’s just so...cheesy.”

Bolin let out a squeal of indignation, clutching his poem to his chest.

“You’re telling me that you’ve never written anything for Asami? Ever?”

Korra blinked several times and shook her head.

“Of course I’ve written her letters before,” she said. “But we see each other every day anyway. What’s the point of writing when we talk face-to-face?”

“Because sometimes it’s nice to see the words written down,” Bolin said, passion overtaking him as he spoke. “Words on a page are permanent, a sign that your love will last forever. Even when you’re not around, they can look at your words and remember how much you love them.”

“I think Asami can remember that I love her without reading any flowery metaphors.”

Bolin fell silent as he stared at her, his bottom lip beginning to tremble.

“Not that Opal doesn’t appreciate your poems,” she rushed to add. “I’m sure she does. It’s great that you guys do that. Really romantic. I just don’t think it’s something that’s for me and Asami. We’re different people.”

Bolin’s lip grew still, and Korra held in a sigh of relief.

“Maybe you’d be surprised, Korra,” Bolin said, standing and taking his poetry with him. “You should give it a shot. See how Asami feels when she actually reads what you’ve taken the time to write for her.”

Korra tapped her fingers against her thigh as Bolin left her behind.

* * *

Poetry was more than Korra would ever be able to manage. The thought of coming up with a romantic metaphor to describe her feelings for Asami made her stomach twist with anxiety. It just wasn’t her. 

She wasn’t sure leaving notes at all was her, but Bolin’s words had got her thinking. It was true that she’d never tried it before. Perhaps Asami would appreciate it, and Korra just hadn’t tried.

Late that evening she set her mind to trying it. Her eyes kept flickering towards the hall, worried that Asami would reappear at any moment. She tugged a small piece of paper from the desk in their sitting room and wrote a quick note about how much she loved her girlfriend.

It wasn’t much. Though Bolin hadn’t actually shown her his attempts at poetry, Korra was sure that what she’d written was far more straightforward and succinct. That was the only way she knew how to describe how she felt. It was still sincere. Sincere enough to make Korra’s cheeks warm as she sat the note on the counter for Asami to find in the morning.

Korra forced herself not to snatch it back up and throw it away. Taking a deep breath and trying to appear innocent, she went to join her girlfriend in bed.


	10. Turtleduck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asami's not so sure about a pet turtleduck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Korrasami Month 2019 day 3: turtleduck.

“What is that?” Asami asked, eyeing the small animal cradled in Korra’s arms.

“A turtleduck,” Korra responded in too bright of a voice. “Isn’t he cute?”

Asami looked between the turtleduck and her girlfriend’s large smile, trying to decide how to answer the question.

“It’s cute,” she said slowly. “But why is it in our house?”

“See,” Korra began, drawing out the word. “I went with Bolin and Opal to the animal rescue when they went to look for a pet, right?”

Asami raised one eyebrow and gave a short nod in response, prompting Korra to continue.

“Well, it turns out this little guy was there, and he needs a home.”

Asami stared at Korra, waiting for her to elaborate further. When she didn’t, Asami had no choice but to ask the obvious question herself.

“And Bolin and Opal—the two people actually looking for a pet—didn’t take him?”

“Turtleducks don’t do well in apartments,” Korra said with a shrug. “Besides, he took a liking to me. See how comfortable he is?”

Korra ran a hand along the turtleduck’s back as he continued to sit quietly in her arms. Asami didn’t really know how to tell if he was comfortable, but she’d never seen a turtleduck lounge in a human’s embrace the way this one was with Korra. She supposed he was comfortable, and she had to admit that Korra holding him was a little adorable.

That didn’t eliminate many of the problems.

“He’s not cut out for apartments, but you think he’ll do okay in our house?”

“We have a backyard,” Korra pointed out. “Give me a few minutes, and I can have a pond set up with some simple earth and waterbending. Bolin and Opal both agreed that it would add some life to our backyard anyway. It’s not like there’s much there now.”

Asami couldn’t disagree with that. Neither she nor Korra had invested much time into landscaping their yard. They didn’t grow any flowers, and what little grass there’d been when they moved in had died, leaving little more than dirt in its wake. But it had been excellent for Korra—and often Bolin—to practice earthbending, something that couldn’t continue as easily if they were going to put a turtleduck outside.

“This seems like a tremendously bad idea,” she said, frowning at the turtleduck.

The animal was still quiet, but she knew it wouldn’t be like that forever. She was also pretty sure that turtleducks needed turtleduck friends, and the thought of a whole flock of the things in her backyard made her uneasy.

“You don’t understand,” Korra pleaded, taking several steps forward. “This little guy hates everyone. He tried to bite Bolin.”

“I thought you were convincing me to keep him.”

“I am. He liked _me_ right away. He waddled right up, gave a little quack, and we were friends. The woman who runs the rescue couldn’t believe it. He doesn’t even let her feed him without being hostile. Asami, it’s a sign. Who else is going to take a biting turtleduck?”

Asami ran a hand over her brow.

“What about Naga?” she asked. “Last I checked, polar bear dogs and turtleducks don’t usually get along.”

“Naga’s the sweetest polar bear dog in the world. They’ll work things out. Come on, Asami. They said I could keep him for a few days to see how things work out. If it doesn’t work out, then we’ll take him back.”

Asami pressed her lips together, but she nodded despite her continued reservations. Korra let out a cheer and rushed forward to kiss her girlfriend. Unfortunately, the previously calm turtleduck didn’t appreciate the sudden movement and let out a loud quack a split second before its new owners’ lips met.

Korra laughed sheepishly and rubbed her neck in response to Asami’s glare.

“I’ll go make him his pond,” she muttered, backing away slowly. “As soon as he’s settled, he’ll fit right in. You’ll see.”

Asami sighed as she watched Korra go, the turtleduck calm once more in her arms. She hoped Korra was right.


	11. Seasons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A year of new beginnings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Korrasami Month 2019 day 5 - seasons.

The leaves were turning from dark greens into light yellows and deep reds when Asami admitted to Korra that Future Industries wasn’t doing well. The brief respite that it had been given through its deal with the city hadn’t completely cleared its name in the eyes of the people, and business was faltering. Korra didn’t know how to respond to the news. In her mind, Asami had always been a talented businesswoman. It had never occurred to her that a business would be capable of failing with Asami at the helm.

But, as the days grew colder, the situation at Future Industries grew worse.

Winter came, and Future Industries was liquidated. Korra scrambled to find ways to console Asami in the aftermath, but there was little she could do to take away the pain that came from Asami losing some of her last reminders of her father.

They stayed home frequently that winter, sheltering themselves from the judgment of the world as much as from the weather. Korra had Avatar duties to attend to, but when she didn’t, she was with Asami, helping her in what ways she could.

By the time the spring flowers were blooming, Asami smiling was a regular occurrence again. Korra’s heart soared the day Asami laid out her plan for a new business, one that wouldn’t carry the stigma of her father and one that she built herself from the beginning.

Not being a businessperson herself, Korra understood very little of Asami’s plans, but she listened to them intently anyway. By the time Asami visited city hall for a business permit, the weather was too warm for a jacket.

The first thing Asami did after receiving her permit was lease a storefront in downtown Republic City. The second thing she did was set up a cooling system to counteract the summer heat that had begun scorching the city.

Korra still didn’t fully understand the ins and outs Asami’s plans, but she followed all of Asami’s instructions as they set to work setting the place up. Only occasionally did Korra get distracted from the task at hand as she marvelled over the way Asami beamed at the signs of new beginnings all around them.


	12. New Girl Next Door (AU)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra isn't excited about her new neighborhood, and she wishes she wasn't excited for her new neighbor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korrasami Month 2019 day 9: girl next door.
> 
> This one is an AU.

Korra glanced at one of the too large houses on the street and scowled as she carried another box into her family’s new home. She hadn’t wanted to move to the neighborhood. The second her dad had gotten the promotion, her parents had begun talking of moving to a “nicer” neighborhood, but Korra didn’t consider it nice at all. 

No, it was a street full of houses too large for any one family to live in, and she knew what kind of people lived inside of them. She had no interest in getting to know any of them. The second they finished unloading the moving van, she was going back to her old neighborhood to meet Mako and Bolin. Maybe the houses were less expensive, but the people there were genuine.

“Do you need any help?”

Korra froze before slowly turning to look at the girl who had snuck up behind her. She looked the girl up and down, noting the expensive clothes she wore and the way her makeup and hair were carefully styled. What annoyed her the most, though, was that she was undeniably attractive, and the way she smiled at Korra didn’t hold a hint of the judgment Korra had expected to receive for the athletic wear and messy ponytail she was wearing.

“No, I’m good,” Korra shot back, turning towards the house again.

She wouldn’t have admitted it out loud, but the box she was carrying was heavy, and she didn’t have the stamina to hold it forever.

“Are you sure?” the girl called, hurrying after Korra. “I noticed that you don’t have any professional movers. Wouldn’t you appreciate having someone else to help out?”

Korra sat her box down inside the front door and turned to face the girl, crossing her arms against her chest. If the girl noticed anything hostile in Korra’s posture, she didn’t let on. With a bright smile, she held out a hand for Korra to take.

“I’m Asami Sato. I live next door.”

She motioned towards the gaudy house that was, sure enough, right next door to Korra’s new house. Korra scowled at it and glanced over her shoulder in search of her parents, who had disappeared inside. She looked Asami up and down again, ignoring the stirrings of attraction. It was hard to imagine that Asami had done the slightest bit of heavy lifting in her life.

“You really don’t have to,” Korra said in a flat voice. “We’ve got it under control.”

Asami’s smile dimmed, but she didn’t take the escape that Korra desperately wanted her to.

“Really though,” Asami said. “I want to help. I was bored anyway, and it’s not every day that a girl around your age moves in next door. I was thinking that I could help, and then, when we’re done, maybe we could hang out or something? I could show you around, if you wanted. It’s always nice to have a new friend.”

The way she looked at Korra was hopeful, and Korra sighed in response. The last thing she wanted was to spend more time with this attractive girl who would turn out to be a shallow rich girl once Korra talked to her for more than five minutes.

Knowing that, Korra still couldn’t shake her off and send her home, ruining any chance they had of forming a friendship.

“Fine,” she snapped, sounding more annoyed with the prospect than she actually was. “Grab a box and take it inside then. Try not to scare my parents when they see you.”

Asami gave her a quick smile before lifting a box from the van with more ease than Korra would have thought her capable of. Korra watched in amazement until she’d disappeared through the front door of the house, leaving a dazed Korra behind.


	13. At Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra finds a way to occupy herself on the ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for Korrasami Month 2019 day 9: sea.

Korra looked up at the ship prepared to take her and Asami from Republic City to the South Pole. Naga whimpered beside her, even less of a fan of the ships than Korra, which was saying something.

There was a laugh behind her, and Korra turned to see Asami a second before her girlfriend wrapped her arm around her waist and placed a kiss on her cheek.

“Look on the bright side,” she said in response to Korra’s sour look. “The ship’s taking us to the Southern Water Tribe. You’ll get to see your parents. It’s a good thing. Besides, shouldn’t a waterbender be excited to be surrounded by water?”

She motioned at the endless sea in front of them. Korra’s eyes followed, but she didn’t feel any particular emotion as she looked out at the water. Sure, being surrounded by that much water was convenient for bending, but there was little room for any impressive techniques on a ship unless she was looking to destroy it.

“It’s boring,” Korra said with a pout. “There’s nothing to do on a ship except sit around and stare at the sky. The first time I came to Republic City, I was excited to finally see the city, but I’ve made this trip so many times that I’m tired of it. I’d much rather just snap my fingers and be in the South Pole.”

Asami moved closer, wrapping a second arm around Korra’s waist and holding her close.

“Wouldn’t we all?” she said with a laugh. “But we can’t, and this is the best way there unless we ask Tenzin to borrow a bison. Somehow, I don’t think that would be any better for you.”

Korra shook her head. There was even less room to do anything worthwhile on a bison, and Naga wouldn’t be able to accompany them on one.

“At any rate,” Asami said, keeping her voice low as she murmured in Korra’s ear,” I can keep you occupied on the ship.”

She pulled away abruptly, hurrying up the ramp of the ship before Korra could catch her breath.

* * *

Korra had laid down on the deck of the ship at the earliest chance she got. Her head rested against Naga’s side as she stared at the sky, focused on Naga’s slow breathing and the gentle swaying of the ship. If nothing else, she could get a nap in. That was the one thing the ship had going for it. She could ignore the grumblings of the crew as they worked around her, too frightened of the Avatar to ask her to move out of their way.

She had successfully drowned out the people around her and didn’t noticed Asami approaching until her girlfriend stood over her, blocking the light from the sun. Her lips were quirked up in a smirk that roused Korra from the sleepiness she’d felt a moment earlier.

“How are you finding the trip so far?” Asami asked, her hands against her hips as if she’d caught Korra in a lie.

Korra put on her best pout.

“Terrible,” she said with an exaggerated groan. “Everything is boring. Please distract me.”

She tugged on Asami’s hand until the other woman lowered herself to the ground beside her. Korra used the opportunity their proximity provided to wrap her arms around Asami’s waist and press a kiss to her lips. Asami laughed at the show of affection.

“Do you want to practice bending or something?” Asami asked, one of her hands lingering on Korra’s neck. She raised one eyebrow, and as Korra looked at her, bending was the last thing on her mind.

“No,” she said with a shake of her head. “I’ve practiced bending enough. I have a much better idea about how to spend our time.”

She smirked and watched with satisfaction as realization passed across Asami’s face. The other woman did her best to hold in a grin, but she couldn’t stop the twinkle in her eyes.

“What are you suggesting?” she asked.

Korra leaned forward to quietly speak into Asami’s ear.

“That we have a private room all to ourselves and very little to distract us for a while.”

Korra felt Asami shiver as her breath hit her skin, and it energized her. She was standing before Asami could respond, the sudden movement rousing Naga from her nap for a second before she decided the humans were boring and closed her eyes again.

Asami took Korra’s outstretched hand with little fuss, following her the whole way to their room.


	14. Tinkering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asami can't make the breakthrough she's hoping for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Korrasami Month 2019 day 10: tinkering.

Asami scrubbed the kitchen counter vigorously to remove every trace possible of the coffee stain that had been there for months. Pulling away slightly, she could still make out traces of brown. With a growl, she went back in, scrubbing even harder.

A throat cleared behind her, and her teeth sunk into her lip painfully. When she spun around, Korra was leaning against the doorway with an amused grin on her lips.

“What’s going on?” Korra asked in amusement.

Asami threw down the rag, letting it flop over the stain and block it from view. She never wanted to look at the countertop again.

“Nothing,” she said, crossing her arms against her chest and leaning against the counter. 

The muscles in her arm were thankful for a rest, but Asami’s brain wasn’t. She didn’t look at Korra as her girlfriend approached her and placed her hands on her hips.

“Is it the new Satomobile you’ve been tinkering with recently?” Korra asked.

Asami wrinkled her nose.

“It’s not tinkering when I’m still trying to design the entire thing. I can’t find a way to make the engine fuel efficient enough that the average consumer would be willing to fork over the cost of the car. At this rate, nothing is going to surpass the current model. We’ll be stuck with it until the competition surpasses us, and then the whole business will go under.”

“Asami,” Korra chided, placing a quick kiss to her cheek. “That’s not true. You work on this thing day and night. No one is going to find out the answer before you do. I’m sure of it. You just need some time before the genius idea hits you.”

Asami nodded, but her gaze was focused on a piece of lint on Korra’s shoulders. The Satomobile still sitting in the company’s shop was the only thing she could think about. No matter how much she scrubbed at the counter, the damn Satomobile wasn’t going to leave her alone.

“You’re right,” she said, though she was only half aware of what Korra had said. “I should head back to the workshop. Maybe if I adjust the carburetor, that will fix things.”

Korra gave her a soft smile.

“Just don’t overwork yourself too much, okay?”

Asami nodded absentmindedly, giving Korra a quick peck on the lips even though her mind was far away. She didn’t pay any attention to her girlfriend watching her leave with fondness.


End file.
